First, Last, Always
by ROCkER.JACkSON
Summary: Features Liason as a united front during the whole Sonny's fake death fiasco. While Jason does his best to keep everyone together as he helps Sonny take down the latest threat to the organization and all they love, Elizabeth stands by his side to prop him up whenever the burden weighs down on him.
1. Chapter 1

**First, Last, Always**

* * *

Staring blankly out the double doors, Jason does his best to sort through the situation they have found themselves in, certain that it was going to take all his strength to keep things afloat as they make their way through this chaotic situation. His duty, above all else, is to ensure that everyone he loves makes it out of this alive while keeping the casualties to a minimum. Like many times before, when faced with such a heavy burden, Monica Quartermaine's words echo through his mind, forcing him to truly rethink every step they were about to make.

When he first awoke from his coma and broke free of the Quartermaine clan, he couldn't give a damn about the innocent unsuspecting people, mostly because he just didn't have the sense to care. The more he learnt and grew as a person, Jason learnt to care about those innocent unsuspecting people, most recently when she became part of his life. Being with her isn't logical. Loving her isn't logical. Elizabeth Webber exudes the kind of goodness that he wishes he could portray and it made no sense at all for her to love him yet she does.

Its because of her and the light she brought to his life that Jason began to consider all the lessons that he had ignored and rebuffed. Its because of her that he learnt the true meaning of finding a purpose in life that you would not only die for, but live for as well. His place in Sonny's organization had given him a home, it had given him a place to start, and he would always be thankful for that.

Because of his acceptance, Sonny has earned his undying loyalty, something he's certain will live on till the day he dies. Elizabeth, however, had give his heart a home. She has given him a place where his soul can rest and for that she will always be his number one. Before Carly, before Sonny, before anyone and everyone. Of that much he's certain.

With the situation at hand, Jason understands where Sonny's coming from, but he doesn't accept that this is how things have to be. If Carly can know what they are planning, if Sonny can make the exception for the woman he loves, then why can't it be the same for him? Why must he keep the woman he loves in the dark while Sonny pulls the woman he loves into the thick of it with the organization? Carly's not only going to know about the plan, she is going to be sitting in on meetings with the five families. It's unfair for Sonny to bind his hands like this, but the man just won't see reason.

"Jason!" Sonny snaps, needing his partner to focus. "Did you hear me?"

"Elizabeth stays in the dark." Jason states plainly, turning to look at his friend. "Yeah. I heard you."

"Good! We don't have much time to finalize things." Sonny says seriously. "While I'm gone I want you to make sure that Courtney stays safe, as well. With the whole stalker thing, I just can't risk something happening to her because of this, you understand?"

"Yeah."

Having been over this a billion times already, Jason simply stares blankly at his friend as he reiterates everything they have already discussed. The plan was simple enough. Fake his death, locate the threat, take it out, and revive him from his proverbial grave. Of course, none of it would matter if he can't stay dead long enough to get through the funeral and Carly can't fake despair well enough to be believable. In his opinion, the person that should have been kept in the dark is Carly, needing her to convince people that Sonny is in fact dead, but that suggestion merely fell on deaf ears.

Leaving the penthouse, once Sonny believes they have gone over it enough times for the day, Jason straddles his bike and takes off as fast as his bike can take him, all the way back to their studio. Bounding his way up the stairs, he gets to the studio just as she's getting back with the art supplies she had spent the entire day picking out. As much as he wishes she'd just let him buy her whatever she needs instead of buying things according to her budget, he knows that she's just too independent for that, one of the many things he loves her for and yet still finds equally infuriating.

"Need help?" Jason questions as he gets to her.

"Door, please." she replies with a soft smile, meeting his eyes when he reaches over to push the door open for her. "Visiting or more?"

"More." he smiles slightly with an arched eyebrow. "Need me to stretch some canvases?"

"Wouldn't hurt." she laughs before walking into the studio and dropping her bags onto the table. "We both know how dangerous it is for me to do it myself."

"Right." he agrees as he shuts the door and walks over to take her hand into his, placing a soft kiss onto her finger tips. "Wouldn't want you to get another splinter."

"Exactly." she whispers, her heart starting to beat faster as he lifts his gaze to meet hers, that breathtaking look in his eyes. "I missed you last night."

"I know." he replies, reaching up his free hand to caress the side of her face. "I missed you, too."

"Did you find a solution to the problem yet?"

"Not so much a solution as a step towards one." Jason says, dropping his hand from her face to take hold of her other hand. "If we play our cards right, we could put an end to this with as few casualties as possible."

"Good." she takes a deep breath. "That's good."

Staring into her eyes, knowing everything he knows about her, he knows that what Sonny's wants from him isn't the right thing for him to do. He has told Elizabeth quite a few times that there would always be things that he can't discuss with her, times when she'd have to leave a room without any explanation, that she would just have to trust that he's protecting her and not ask things that he just can't answer. With his line of business, the less she knows the better off they'll both be and she's accepted that, having proved it quite a few times in the past.

In this moment, however, with what's hanging over them, he just can't bring himself to leave her in the dark, regardless of how Sonny feels about it. Though he can't exactly predict or imagine what would happen, he does know Elizabeth enough to know that she will take Sonny's death hard. Not because she's close to Sonny or anything like that, though, she will mourn his death as a friend, she will take it hard for him because that's just who she is. Elizabeth knows exactly how much Sonny means to him and she will feel that pain for him, something Jason just can't stomach seeing come to life, not if he can help it.

"This is the only way?" Elizabeth stares into his eyes, needing to see the truth, now more than ever. "There's no other way to do this?"

"Its the best option."

"How bad a situation must be for the best option to be faking someone's death." Elizabeth sighs, seeing that he was completely certain of the path set out before him. "I'm sorry, Jason."

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Jason questions, uncertain of the reason behind her apology.

"You." she says simply. "I know how much you hate to lie and now you have to carry the burden of this huge lie because of some unknown threat. I'm just sorry you have to carry that."

"A lie that you'll have to carry, too, because of me." Jason sighs. "Maybe I should have listened to Sonny..."

"No. You did the right thing." Elizabeth says seriously, lifting his gaze to meet hers. "You did the right thing, Jason."

"But now you have to carry the burden..."

"Taking care of you here while I lied to everyone I loved was a burden for me to carry, one I'd gladly carry over and over if it meant keeping you alive." Elizabeth says wholeheartedly. "This isn't that. This lie is your burden. I'm merely your moral support."

"Couldn't ask for a better one than you."

"Same here." she breathes him in as he places a soft kiss upon her lips, pulling away only when breathing becomes essential. "Now...about those canvases..."

Jason could tell that she was making light of the situation, something he finds that she can do quite easily, regardless of the severity of the situation, but he also knows that she grasps just how serious this is and that's enough for him. As long as she understands what they are facing, Jason can accept her way of looking at it, almost wishing that he too could put on those rosy glasses and see things the way she sees them. Snatching a few frames, he gets started on stretching some canvases for her, needing the busy work to keep his mind in the present with her. Sonny's 'death' isn't set to go down for a few more days, giving him just enough time to enjoy the peace and comfort that can only be found within that small studio apartment with the woman he loves. Until things are set into motion, Jason will take as much of this calmness as he can get for as long as it lasts.


	2. Chapter 2

**First, Last, Always**

* * *

News of Sonny's death has sent a wave of shock and awe through the streets of Port Charles. Almost every newspaper in the town, big business and small, has plastered Sonny Corinthos's picture all over their front pages. Articles upon articles plastered through the pages all about Sonny and his family. Some kinder articles portray him as the philanthropist with a soft spot for the yearly Nurses' Ball due to his love for the young man who was taken too soon. By the way those reporters are portraying him, you'd think Sonny had been some legitimate business man with a heart of gold.

Tossing the fifth newspaper she's read this morning onto the table, Elizabeth lets out a weary sigh, almost anxious for the funeral to be over and done with already. Since Sonny death had become a reality, she has been helping Carly plan the funeral, something that the blonde had not seen coming by any means, but accepted none the less. With the weight that now rests upon Jason's shoulders, the blonde just didn't want to add any further pressure onto her best friend, something Elizabeth had been counting on. Strange to think that Carly isn't her biggest problem these days.

Somewhere between Sonny's death and Carly's planning of the funeral, Courtney has gotten it into her mind that Elizabeth is trying to replace her as Carly's best friend, not that Elizabeth could ever see herself as Carly's friend in any context, much less in the role of Carly's BFF. Every step of the way, Courtney seems to choose the exact opposite of anything Elizabeth chooses for the funeral. She even tried to talk Carly out of one of her choices because Elizabeth happened to agree with her. It was almost as if Courtney just couldn't stomach agreeing with Elizabeth on anything.

After a much needed lunch break, she will be right back in the middle of the chaos that is planning Sonny's funeral, thankful that they only had a few more things to settle before the planning is complete. The obituary has already made it into the newspapers, ensuring that the town is well aware of Sonny's funeral date, many having called Carly to extend their condolences and assurances that they will be in attendance. She can't be certain of it, but if she didn't know any better Elizabeth could have sworn that most of them are only attending to make sure that he really is dead.

The further she gets into the planning of Sonny's funeral, the more Elizabeth has gained an understanding of Carly as a person, something she definitely hadn't seen coming. She has gained a soft spot big enough that she almost blew up at Emily when she said something negative about Carly. It wasn't like Elizabeth hasn't said something similar in the past in regard to the blonde, but she just couldn't stomach hearing it after all she's been through with Carly thus far. Though she knows the funeral is fake, Elizabeth couldn't help imagining if she were in Carly's shoes.

If she does end up with Jason for the rest of her life, she could very well find herself in Carly's shoes one day and it might not be as temporary as Carly's situation. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if she could be strong enough to plan Jason's funeral the way that Carly has. If Jason's death is as fake as Sonny's, could she really go through the motions of planning his funeral as if he were really dead? Merely planning Sonny's funeral, she has a sense of it being real, what more for Carly, his wife, to be planning it for her not-so-dead husband?

"Hi." she whispers when she feels his lips touch the top of her head before taking the seat in front of her. "I thought you'd be too busy for lunch."

"I've got time." he says simply, gesturing for the waitress and giving his order before returning his attention to her. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah...I'm fine."

"Really?" he counters with an arched eyebrow. "Could have fooled me."

"Okay, so, maybe planning Sonny's funeral isn't as easy as I thought it would be." Elizabeth concedes. "I just can't help thinking that I could be in Carly's place one day."

"You can't let yourself think like that." he says seriously, reaching over to take her hand in his. "Its not good for you to go there."

"I know." she smiles slightly. "Its just hard not to sometimes."

"I'm here." he says, lifting her gaze to his. "We're okay. Focus on that."

"You're right." she shakes her head before taking a deep breath. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm okay." he assures. "Just need it to be over."

"I know the feeling." she replies. "Will I be sitting with you in front?"

"That's up to you." Jason says before his face grows serious. "I mean...I'd like you to..."

"Then I will." she says quickly. "I'm there."

"Thanks."

For however long it lasts, the two enjoy their lunch together in silence, allowing each other the peace they so desperately needed. While Carly will be meeting with the five families sometime after the funeral is over, Jason is running the day to day of the business and being the boss again is taking a little getting used to. While the men had been loyal to Sonny, it seems as if they prefer Jason's leadership opposed to Sonny's. If they weren't too busy leveling a threat, he's almost certain Sonny would have a conniption over it.

Agreeing to having dinner together at home later on that night, the two go their separate ways, needing to be prepared for the funeral in different ways. While Elizabeth's planning the funeral with Carly, he needs to prepare for the five families' arrival to the event. Security needs to be airtight and the accommodations need to be above reproach in order to avoid any friction between their organization and any others. The last thing they need is another threat rising up while they are still trying to deal with the current one.

"Good, you're back." Carly practically yanks her into the penthouse before tossing her a notepad. "Get started on confirming our orders for the funeral."

"Wasn't Courtney doing that?" Elizabeth questions as she flips open the book to take a look at the checklist, finding all the boxes still unmarked. "I thought she'd be done by now."

"Would I tell you to do it if she finished it already?" Carly snaps before taking a deep breath. "Just do it. Please."

"I'm on it." Elizabeth assures. "I was just confused, that's all."

"My mother's somewhere doing god knows what and Courtney's off with her jackass of a husband. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with all this crap to do and barely any time to finish it all!" Carly grumbles as she grabs the list that Jason gave her as pointers for her first meeting with the five families. "Out of all the people I thought would be helping me with this, I can't believe its you, muffin. I really can't."

Letting that slide, Elizabeth gets started on placing the calls to the various companies while Carly makes her way upstairs to her son, thankful for the time alone once she's out of the room. Typically, Elizabeth would feel the need to blast Carly back for blasting her like that, but she's come to understand that its just Carly's way of being. The way she is with Elizabeth isn't nearly as bad as she is with some of the guards, especially when they don't do what she wants immediately. She nearly strangled Ritchie when he didn't remove all the casseroles from the penthouse like she had asked him to a few hours prior.

Elizabeth had to hand it to her, though, Carly was an even better actress than she had given her credit for. Though it wasn't real, Carly plays the part of the grieving widow quite well, having everyone pretty much fooled. Hell, even the haters have been delivering pies and casseroles to the penthouse, expressing their condolences and some actually meaning it. Making her way through the list, Elizabeth tosses the notebook to the side when she finally checks everyone off the list.

"What did you expect? You wanted your sister safe, she's safe!" Jason snaps into the phone as she walks through the door of their penthouse. "I have better things to do than babysit. Johnny can handle her detail just fine!"

"I'm gonna get washed up." she says as she places a soft kiss upon his cheek. "I ordered dinner already. Should be here in another ten minutes."

"You worry about staying dead and leave the living to me!" Jason states sternly before ending the call. "Sorry about that."

"Its okay." she assures. "I've never seen you lose your patience with Sonny before."

"He's just being unreasonable." Jason sighs as he drops down onto the couch. "I'm his partner and yet he still expects me to fall right back into guard duty as if I don't have anything better to do."

"I'm sure he's just growing anxious with the whole situation. I mean, he's staying in a rundown motel under lock and key until the funeral." Elizabeth reminds him. "He probably just needs to have some sense of control."

"I guess." he shakes his head. "You said something about dinner?"

"I ordered dinner for us when I ordered Carly's dinner." Elizabeth explains. "Should be here soon. I was just gonna go wash up before we eat."

"Right. Okay." he replies simply. "I'm just gonna check in with Johnny."

"Let him know I said hi." Elizabeth says as she walks towards the stairs. "I won't be too long."

Watching her walk up the stairs, Jason lets out a deep sigh before he picks up the phone to call Johnny, needing to make sure that things are still copacetic in that area. He understands Sonny's desire to ensure Courtney's safety, but he is far past his guard duty days. Johnny is one of the elite guards in their organization and he is more than capable of protecting Courtney from any and all threats that may come her way. After checking in with the guard and hearing exactly what he thought he would, Jason sets up a makeshift dinner table for them, intent on having a stress free dinner with his girlfriend. With nothing more left for him to do until the funeral, he's going to turn it all off for the night and leave it at the door. This just couldn't be over soon enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**First, Last, Always**

* * *

Early morning, the day of Sonny's funeral, Elizabeth sits with her legs up on the club chair with a cup of her favorite Belgian hot chocolate, simply admiring the painting hanging over the mantel. Jason had told her he'd hang it soon, but she hadn't believed he'd hang it in such a public place where anyone could see it.

When he explained his reasoning for doing so, Elizabeth couldn't help but make love to him well into the night. He had kept his love for her in the dark for so long that he just doesn't want to hide it anymore. Placing the painting there is a symbol to him of their love being out in the open for all to see. When Jason puts his mind to it, he can damn well give any romantic a run for their money.

Glancing down at the checklist that Carly sent over the night before, she lets out a low chuckle, knowing that she had her work cut out for her today. Since Jason is the only one that knows she knows the truth, Elizabeth will have to put on one hell of a performance at the funeral just like Carly. There can't be any doubt that Sonny's dead, none at all, and it would be more than a little suspicious if she's completely fine at the funeral.

Fortunately for her, she's got a fail-safe that will get her through the funeral in tears, the memory of finding Jason in the snow. Till this day, the mere thought of it puts her in tears, remembering how afraid she had been and how swiftly her heart broke when he didn't immediately respond to her pleadings. Taking a deep breath, she reminds herself not to go there, not just yet. She still had more than a few hours left to go.

Just as she was about to relax further into the club chair, the sound of the phone ringing breaks through the silence, causing her to let out a deep sigh. As much as she wants to answer the phone and prevent Jason from waking up, she knows better than to answer his landline.

After three rings, the ringing stops abruptly in the middle of the fourth ring, which meant that he was awake. Rising to her feet, she walks into the kitchen to make him up a cup of coffee, certain that this will be the start of his day, hoping that the call isn't Sonny adding more pressure because no one deserves to start off their morning like that. Though she'd never voice it, she's starting to feel like, if it were to fall apart, it would most definitely be at the hands of Sonny.

"What time did you get up?" Jason questions her as he accepts the cup of coffee she holds out. "Your side of the bed was already cold when I woke up."

"Not sure." Elizabeth admits, reclaiming her spot on the club chair with her hot chocolate. "Do I have to ask?"

"Sonny." he says plainly before shaking his head. "I have to head out. I'll see you at the church just before the funeral starts."

"Sounds good." she replies. "I have to head there in a couple hours to make sure everything is set the way Carly wants it. Courtney was supposed to handle it, but she called to say she couldn't."

"You know, you don't have to do all this." Jason says as he sits down on the coffee table in front of her. "If Carly needs the help, I can assign some of the men to assist her. It doesn't have to be you."

"I used to question your loyalty to her. I just couldn't understand why you would put so much on the line for her." Elizabeth admits, reaching out to take hold of his hands. "I get it now. And, even if I don't technically have to help her, I want to. No one deserves to plan their husband's funeral alone. Real or not."

"Never thought I'd see the day." he says with thought before rising to his feet and placing a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "I'll see you soon."

"Be safe."

Though it would make his life easier in a sense for them to get along, he just isn't all that sure how he feels about his girlfriend and his best friend being good friends. Grabbing his jacket and his gun from where he stored it the night before, Jason makes his way out of the penthouse and down to his bike. With the day upon them, he had to make sure that everything is set, security and all.

Nothing can go wrong today or it will all be for naught. From what the coroner had to say, it seems as if the police are still poking around Sonny's death, not that he minds it. In this one instance, Taggert's curiosity just may play right into their plans perfectly. What better way to prove death than for the one cop that hates Sonny beyond belief to believe he's dead?

Letting himself into the office, Jason gets started on making sure that everything stays off grid until they handle this situation. With Sonny's death, going off grid for a while won't raise any suspicions as he continues to make himself at home as boss. The families will assume that he's rerouting shipment lanes and dates as well as personnel management.

As long as they have Sonny's death as a veil, they should be able to get a handle on this situation in no time. That's assuming that Sonny doesn't blow it with his constant calls to check on progress. The man just doesn't get radio silence all that well. You'd think he could handle it better, being boss and all, but no. If he's not careful, Jason just might make his death a little more permanent if he doesn't quit it with the micromanagement.

"What?" Jason states when he answers his cellphone.

"Shift change update." Johnny's voice comes on over the line. "Marco is taking over. Things have been quite, per usual, nothing noteworthy to speak of."

"Location?"

"66th." Johnny replies. "The bastard's taking her out before the funeral. Get her mind off things, I guess."

"You tired?"

"I'll sleep when I'm dead." Johnny says simply. "What you got?"

"Liz is heading to the church soon. Security's not set yet."

"On my way." he assures. "Who's on her detail?"

"Francis should be starting by the time you get there."

"Got it." Johnny chuckles. "Coffee and donuts it is."

"Keep her safe and keep me updated."

Ending the call, Jason turns his chair around to pour himself a cup of coffee before getting started on the task at hand. There aren't two men on this earth that he trusts more than the two currently tasked with protecting his girlfriend. Though Sonny has it without much means of earning it, the other two have earned it by saving his life and having his back whenever the need arises. After all they have done for him, Jason knows without a doubt that they will always have his back without question. Something every man in his position needs.

While he's hard at work, Elizabeth makes her way over to the Corinthos abode to check in on Carly before she heads to the church. With Jason at the warehouse, she needs to make sure that Carly's set before she heads over to make sure things are set for the funeral. Sonny's body will be transported from the funeral home to the church by eight o'clock, an hour before the funeral starts, where a private viewing will take place before the rest of the guests arrive.

"Muffin." Carly grumbles before plopping down on the couch in her two hundred dollar pajamas. "Have you gone to the church yet?"

"On my way there." she assures. "Just wanted to check in, see how you're doing."

"Kill me now." Carly grumbled before lifting her gaze to Elizabeth. "I'm fine. You can go now."

"Carly..."

"My husband's dead!" Carly snaps. "Forgive me for not being hospitable at the moment."

"I'd start being suspicious if you were." Elizabeth counters. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted me to order breakfast for you and Michael before I go."

"Right." Carly sighs. "No. I'm fine. Ritchie's got it covered."

"Okay." Elizabeth pulls open the door. "I'll see you at the church then."

"Sure."

"You know I'm only here to help, right?" Elizabeth voices with an arched eyebrow before heading out. "Just saying."

"That's kind of the problem." Carly states as Ritchie shuts the door. "Out of all the people..."


	4. Chapter 4

**First, Last, Always**

* * *

She never thought she'd see the day that this would come to be. Whenever she thought of Sonny, she always believed that he would outlive every last one of them, he just had that air about him. No matter what happened, no matter what he was up against, she always believed he'd withstand it all. Seeing as she's at the church where his funeral is to be held, it seems as if she had been wrong in that regard.

The call still echoes through her brain, nearly shell shocked when the words filtered through the phone, unable to process what she was hearing. At first, she believed it was a lie, some kind of twisted joke, but then she took the source into the consideration and her whole world nearly fell apart. Once she regained her composure, she hopped on the first flight back to town, knowing she had to be here. It was only right.

"Ms. Scorpio." the voice of one of Sonny's guards, Francis, sounds off at the end of the isle. "The funeral's not set to start for a few more hours."

"I know." she says with a sad smile. "I just wanted to light a candle for Sonny. I...I can't believe he's really gone."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Francis says sincerely as he walks over to her. "I hope you don't take this personally, but I need to secure the church..."

"Say no more. I understand." Robin assures, taking a deep breath. "I'm almost finished here. Can I have a few minutes?"

"Sure." Francis agrees. "Johnny's on his way in. Just let him know when you're heading out."

"Thanks."

Granting her a single nod, Francis gets started on his evaluation of the church, needing to get started on securing the church. Robin, for the most part, was no imminent threat in any way, so, leaving her to her own accord posed no problems for him during his evaluation. Sending a quick text out to Johnny, to make sure he's aware of her presence, Francis returns his focus to the task at hand. This was far too important for any one of them to drop the ball now.

...

It was the strangest thing, seeing her sister-in-law through different eyes, yet that's her reality and she can't do anything to change it. Sure, Sonny's technically not dead, but Courtney doesn't know that and yet she still chooses to be selfish rather than help her with the boys and the funeral. From the jump, little miss blonde princess has done absolutely anything she possibly could to get out of helping her. Now, on the day of her husband's fake funeral, she comes knocking on her door all teary eyed expecting comfort from her? Is she freaking serious?

"Are you finished?" Carly snaps, needing to get ready for the funeral and make sure she has everything Michael needs. "I have things to do."

"Carly, please." she blubbers. "Today's hard for me, okay?"

"Hard for you?" Carly nearly choked out, unable to believe the stones this witch has. "He may have been your brother, Courtney, but he was my husband! Forgive me if I couldn't give a rat's ass about your pain!"

"Why are you being like this?"

"Why...are you shitting me?!" Carly glares at her sister-in-law. "Sonny's dead and you couldn't even be bothered to be here for his family! How the hell am I supposed to be, Courtney, huh?"

"He was my brother." she chokes out. "I'm sorry that I haven't been at your beck and call!"

"Get out!" Carly shouts, bounding to the door and yanking it open viciously. "Get the hell out right now before I do something you'll regret!"

"Carly, please!"

"Get the hell out of my house!" Carly shoves her out the door. "And don't bother coming back!"

Slamming the door shut, she let out a screeching groan, swearing that this whole situation couldn't be over with fast enough. She has done a lot of hellish things in her life, but she'll be damned if she lets anyone pull anything over on her. She may be Sonny's sister, but Carly will kill the bitch before she bows down to her pathetic acting. Crocodile tears are Carly's specialty and her sister-in-law's crocodile tears left a lot to be desired. If she didn't have enough crap on her plate as is, she would definitely tear her apart, but that's for another time.

...

Elizabeth had to admit that she was more than a little surprised to hear that Robin Scorpio was in the church, but she remembers how close the other woman is to Sonny, so, it wasn't that much of a surprise. Making her way into the church, she's glad that it wouldn't take much work for her to get the church exactly how Carly had envisioned it. Sure, there are a few things that aren't quite there, but it wouldn't take much man power to get it all down in time for the funeral to start.

"Ms. Scorpio." Johnny greets her when she walks up to them. "Are you done?"

"Yes. I'll be heading out." Robin assures before turning to her. "Hi, have we met before?"

"Elizabeth Webber." Elizabeth introduces, holding her hand out to Robin before shaking the other woman's hand. "We've met once or twice."

"Right, right." Robin shakes her head. "You're Lucky's girlfriend, right?"

"Wrong." Elizabeth countered, knowing it was childish, but doing it anyway. "I'm Jason's girlfriend."

"Oh." Robin had to admit to her shock on that. "I didn't know that."

"It was nice meeting you again, but I really need to get the church together for the funeral." Elizabeth says after a brief moment of silence. "And before I forget, I'm sorry for your loss, I know you and Sonny were really close."

"Yeah, we were." Robin replies with a slight smile. "Anyway, I'll get out of your hair, I'm sure you've got a lot to do. Maybe we can catch up later?"

"Sure." Elizabeth shakes her head. "Sounds good."

Watching her leave, she lets out a deep breath before getting started on fixing up the church, needing to get everything set before Carly arrives. Lord knows she doesn't need anything else to weigh down on her today. As she gets started on fixing up the church, however, Elizabeth can't help but think about what Robin's presence in town could mean for her and Jason. She is to Jason what Lucky had been for her and she can't help but wonder what her presence would mean for her place in Jason's life.

...

Standing by as the men file into the SUVs to make their way to the church, Jason sends a heads up to Johnny, wanting him to make sure that he has all the men in place by the time he gets to the church. Finding out the Robin was back in town had thrown him for a moment, but he finds that he's actually okay with her being back in town. There had once been a time that he believed it would hurt too much for her to come back, but he doesn't feel it or the pain that he had been so certain would follow.

Somewhere between the end of their relationship and the start of his relationship with Elizabeth, he had found the ability to move on from the hurt and leave it all where it belongs, in the past. Sonny had meant something to Robin, so, its no surprise that she'd make the venture back to town for his funeral. Once he was able to get over the surprise of her being back, Jason was able to return his focus to where it actually belongs, hoping that things go as smoothly as they are hoping it will.

"Hey." he greets his girlfriend a little while later in front of the church. "You okay?"

"For the most part." she assures. "Carly just got here...I think she could use a little pep talk before they wheel Sonny in."

"What's wrong?"

"From what I could make out, it seems as if she has had a falling out with Courtney." Elizabeth shakes her head. "I don't know, but the hearse will be here soon and I don't think an angry Carly is going to sell it."

"Great." he groans, running one hand down his face. "I'll talk to her."

"Okay." she shakes her head. "I'll have the guys wheel the coffin in when the hearse gets here."

"Thanks." he sighs, leaning in to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. "Love you."

"Love you back."

Making his way into the church, he takes a moment to appreciate his girlfriend's hard work before making his way down the isle to the front of his church where an upset Carly is pacing back and forth. Representatives from each of the five families will be in attendance and he needs her to be at the top of her game. Whatever's going on between her and Courtney will have to wait for another day. It would take some effort, but he eventually breaks through her fit of rage long enough to get her back on track.

"Are you good?" Jason says as he stares into her eyes. "Carly, can you handle this?"

"I'm good." Carly says firmly. "I can handle this."

"Okay." Jason breathes a breath of relief just as the doors open up to the guys wheeling Sonny's casket into the church. "Because it all starts now."


	5. Chapter 5

**First, Last, Always**

* * *

Keeping up appearances was getting harder and harder the longer the funeral went on. Sitting up front by Jason's side as he sat next to Carly to keep her together was proving to be a lot more than she had initially bargained for. Each and everyone one of them walk up to Carly just after having stepped up to Sonny's casket and paying what she can only describe as their last respects. Carly's looked never faltered, her posture never once coming undone, she was the pure image of a mob boss's grieving wife as she stared down each and every last one of them.

Then all hell broke loose when Taggert comes barging in waving what he so eloquently proclaimed to be a search warrant to determine whether or not it really is Sonny laying dead in the casket or if this was just some elaborate ruse by the organization to deceive everyone, the department included. Jason had known he was poking around, but he never thought that anyone could be this callous, Taggert included. It was no act when Jason rose to his feet and snapped at Taggert to step away from his best friend's casket, slamming it shut in the man's face once he got his fill of Sonny's "lifeless" body.

While Jason and Carly were dealing with the cops, Elizabeth's eyes found Courtney's through the crowd and she couldn't believe that she wasn't more outraged by the fact that her brother's casket had just been defiled. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that she looked almost relieved to find that Sonny was indeed dead. Shaking her head, Elizabeth makes her way around the church to help people out of the room, knowing that the funeral was pretty much over by this point since the burial has been classified private.

"You okay?" Jason asks her after he pulls her to the side for a moment.

"I'm fine." Elizabeth assures him, chancing a glance at Carly before meeting his eyes. "How's she?"

"She'll be okay." Jason says after a moment. "They'll be wheeling Sonny out soon. I know we planned for you to come with us to the burial, but there's something I need you to do."

"Name it."

"With Taggert pulling his stunt, I need you to host a lunch for the representatives." Jason voices firmly. "If we don't, there are a few of them that'll take it as a sign of disrespect."

"Are you sure I'm the right person to do this?" Elizabeth counters, suddenly feeling nervous with the task at hand.

"I know you're not used to pulling rank, but you have the standing." Jason voices seriously. "With me and Carly unable to do it, you're the only one they'll accept."

"Okay." she takes a deep breath before shaking her head. "I can do this."

"I know you can." he assures before placing a soft kiss upon her lips. "Johnny and Francis will handle extending the invitation and they'll be right by your side the entire time."

"Okay."

"I'll get there as soon as I can." he says, glancing over at Carly, who has remained by the casket since the police were escorted out of the room. "I love you."

"I love you back." she smiles slightly. "Go take care of her. I'll see you soon."

"You have all the makings of a boss." he says with confidence, hating he had to put her in this position, but knowing it was necessary. "Embrace it."

Kissing Jason once more, Elizabeth meets up with the two guards by the door, gaining the confirmation that the representatives would all meet her at the No Name for lunch, each more than eager to get some alone time with the woman that had stolen the heart of a man they had all believed did not possess one. As they head to the SUV, she asks them for pointers in handling each of the representatives, listening intently as they put her through a crash course in hostess duties.

"You sure the muffin can handle that kind of responsibility?" Carly questions as she watches the men load her husband into the hearse.

"She can handle it." Jason says firmly before pulling open the door of the SUV for her. "Now lets go. We're not even halfway done."

Shutting the door, he takes a moment to compose himself before sliding into the driver's seat and taking off to the cemetery, knowing that the casket going into the ground will be filled with nothing but bricks. The switch will happen in transit from the church to the burial and then the real work truly begins. If things keep going as they have been going lately, he's going to have his hands full with Sonny, as if the situation wasn't enough to occupy his time.

"You gonna answer that?" Johnny questions when they arrive to the No Name and put the car into park. "You've got time."

"Its just Emily." Elizabeth says, silencing the call and putting it into her purse before taking a deep breath. "I've got to stay focused if I'm going to pull this off."

"Just be you." Francis says with a soft smile. "Do that and we've got nothing to worry about."

"He's right." Johnny agrees. "They'll love you."

"Thanks, guys." she says gratefully. "I'm ready. Lets do this."

Waiting long enough for Francis to get down and open the door for her, Elizabeth makes her way into the No Name with both men on either side of her. Immediately, the group awaiting her rises to their feet in greeting, where she'll take a few moments to greet each of them personally before taking a seat just before they do. Their orders are taken almost immediately and from there Elizabeth had her work cut out for her in keeping these men entertained and placated. With Jason in mind, she does her very best, knowing that she couldn't be the reason why things fell apart.

"What is she doing here?" Carly questions sternly at the sight of Robin walking through the gates to the private area of the cemetery. "She wasn't invited."

"I'll handle it." Jason says firmly, placing one hand on Carly's shoulder. "You got this?"

"I'm fine." Carly states, turning to watch as the casket is lowered into the ground. "Just get her out of here. I'm tired of crying."

The longer this day goes on, the more he comes to see just how selfish most of the people around him actually are, only taking their own situations into account. While he's supposed to be there for each and everyone of them, every step of the way, only one person has asked him how he is and that's his girlfriend. Sure, Sonny's not actually dead, but that doesn't matter. Carly's mad at Courtney for being self-absorbed and yet she is doing the exact same thing. If Sonny were really dead, he wonders if it would be exactly like this, him taking care of Carly and having her completely ignore his loss.

Shaking his head, he forces himself to cast away those thoughts, reminding himself that what's happening now is not a sure example of what'll happen in the future. Sonny's not really dead and Carly knows that. This entire situation is just a huge stressful headache and once its all over they'll be better off. Making his way over to Robin, he puts his most understanding foot forward, needing to remember that she doesn't know Sonny's still alive and handling her as such.

"Hey." Jason greets her. "You okay?"

"Just making my rounds, I guess." Robin says plainly, her arms wrapped snugly around her. "Losing Sonny just reminded me of all the people I've lost over the years...reminded me how rare it is that I visit them...you know?"

"They're not really there."

"I know that." Robin lifts her gaze to meet his. "But its still nice, you know...to visit them...to show them they aren't forgotten. Why don't I visit them more often?"

"Robin."

"And us...god, Jason, how could we let it get this bad?" Robin questions him seriously. "I mean, I get that we didn't end on that great of terms, but we loved each other once, didn't we? How could we let it get this bad between us?"

"Robin..."

"Its okay, Jason, you don't actually have to answer that." Robin sighs before shaking her head. "I just miss our friendship sometimes. Do you think we could ever really get that back?"

"..."

"I'd actually like the answer to that one." Robin probes at his silence. "Do you think we can be friends again, Jason?"

"Honestly?" Jason questions before answering at the shake of her head. "I don't know."

"I guess its better than no." Robin smiles slightly. "Who knows...maybe it just might be a lot to ask."

"I should get back to Carly." Jason voices after a moment. "If you ever need anything, call, okay?"

"Sure." Robin shakes her head. "Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"I never did ask how you were." Robin voices with a sad smile. "You okay?"

"I'll survive." Jason replies simply with a slight smile. "Take care of yourself."

"Will do."

Granting her a single nod, Jason makes his way back over to Carly where they remain by the burial area for another twenty minutes before taking their leave. After dropping her off at the Harbor View Towers to spend the rest of the day with her son, he makes his way to the No Name to meet up with Elizabeth and the guards. He was just getting out of the SUV when he got a phone call from one of the representatives, apparently Elizabeth had been such a great hostess that they were thoroughly pleased with their lunch.

"Hi." Elizabeth greets him, walking right into his arms when he gets to their table. "I did it."

"I heard." Jason smiles softly before claiming her lips swiftly. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Elizabeth smirks. "I actually had a lot of fun."

"You would have been at awe." Francis comments as she shrugs into his jacket. "She definitely made me proud."

"I'd take orders from you any day." Johnny admits, grabbing his jacket from one of the chairs. "Boss."

"Guess you made quite the impression on the guys, as well." Jason says once their alone. "I'm so proud of you."

"Its like you said, I'm your girlfriend." Elizabeth says simply. "I just figured it was time to start acting like it."

"I love you beyond words." Jason says before taking claim of her lips for a deep, desire filled kiss, unable to put his amazement into words at this point.

"I love you back." she whispers as their foreheads touch in an attempt to catch their breaths. "Forever."


	6. Chapter 6

**First, Last, Always**

* * *

Sitting down on the cold ground of the bridge over Black Stone Canyon, Elizabeth takes a deep breath as she relaxes against the side of the bridge, allowing her back to lay flush against the cold cement. Right in this moment, Jason is with Carly going over the terms of the meeting with the five families, his entire focus exactly where it should be, on the situation at hand. After their talk the other night, she wonders just how her boyfriend will be once this is over. It seems as if this situation is opening his eyes to things he hadn't seen before and she can't help but wonder where that'll leave him once Sonny returns.

Jason has already admitted to her that he is starting to rethink his position within Sonny's organization, seeing more and more that he's not quite the partner he had been lead to believe he was. All he has ever known is being Sonny's right hand, from the bottom to the top, he always knew that his place is right by Sonny's side. Until recently, he believed that he and Sonny shared the same level of respect in regard to each other, but the more Sonny pushes, the more he's seeing that he might have been projecting his own thoughts upon Sonny.

"Emily." Elizabeth answers her phone after it rings a few times. "Hey."

"Hey." Emily replies with a slight smile. "Where are you? You busy?"

"Um..." Elizabeth glances around at her surroundings before shaking her head. "Don't worry about it. What's up?"

"I was thinking, if you weren't busy, maybe we could hang out today." Emily suggests. "Its been a while since we just hung out, you know?"

"Wish I could." Elizabeth replies regretfully. "But Jason needs my help today."

"Liz, I get that you and my brother are in love and all that, really I do, but you're my best friend." Emily says seriously. "I need you to be my friend today. Please."

"Emily..."

"Don't. Not that tone." Emily sighs. "Please, Liz. It feels like this is that turning point and I don't want to lose you as my best friend."

"I love you, you know that." Elizabeth says wholeheartedly. "But Jason needs me right now. Losing Sonny...its been difficult for him and I just need to be by his side right now. You can understand that, can't you?"

"Of course I can." Emily says after a brief moment. "But Liz?"

"Yeah?"

"You won't have Sonny's death as an excuse forever." Emily points out. "Something has changed between us and you need to figure out if you're willing to help me fix it or let our friendship fall apart."

Letting out a deep breath, Elizabeth shoves her cellphone back into her pocket, thankful that Emily had ended the call when she did. It wasn't like she was wrong, something has changed between them, but Elizabeth just isn't sure what that was exactly or if it could really be fixed at this point.

Its not like she can actually talk to Emily about her relationship with Jason or the things that he divulges to her in confidence. There's so much about her life with Jason that she can't share with Emily and it puts a wedge between them that Elizabeth just doesn't know how to get around.

"Hey." the sound of her boyfriend's voice catches her by surprise as he lowers himself down beside her. "You okay?"

"I didn't hear you drive up." Elizabeth voices when she glances to the side and notices the bike is parked just shy of the bridge.

"You were pretty lost in thought when I came up." Jason replies, lifting her chin with his finger to have her gaze meet his. "What's going on?"

"Do you think you'll ever regret it?" Elizabeth finds herself asking as she situates herself to face him completely. "Letting me all the way in...telling me everything...do you think you'll ever regret it?"

"Where's this coming from?"

"Just answer me, please." Elizabeth says almost pleadingly. "Do you think you'll ever regret it?"

"No." Jason says with conviction. "Now can you tell me what's going on?"

"Its nothing really." she replies after a moment. "Just...with things changing between us...between you and the organization...I can't help wondering if we're going to make it past this."

"You don't think we will?"

"I want us to. More than anything, I want us to be forever." Elizabeth says wholeheartedly. "Things have just been changing so much lately..."

"Everything I've done is only to bring you closer." Jason voices after a moment of thought. "Letting people in has always been hard for me. I've lost some people because of it. I don't want that for us."

"Jason..."

"I love you, Elizabeth. That's not something I say lightly, you know that." Jason says firmly, taking her hands into his before continuing. "I want us to be partners in everything we do. You need to tell me now if you can handle that before we get any deeper into this."

"What about Sonny?"

"Sonny's my problem." Jason says simply. "Its you and me. Can you handle that?"

"If you're sure...yes, I can handle it." Elizabeth says with conviction. "I just hope you know what you're getting us into."

"I do." Jason assures her before placing a soft kiss upon her lips. "No matter what changes are happening, I won't let us end, you can trust that."

"I believe you." she replies. "I love you, Jason."

The two of them sit together for a long while, simply allowing the silence to fall over them, before they rise to their feet and make their way back to town. Locked away in the safety of their studio, Jason begins to explain everything that has gone down since they last saw each other, successfully shocking her to her core with all that has transpired between Jason and the head of the five families.

Since Sonny's last phone call, Jason has been digging deeper into Courtney, needing to understand why Sonny's so insistent in him being the one guarding her. What he found only proved to bring up more questions than answers, pushing Jason's hand in asking questions he hadn't been wanting to ask in regard to Sonny ever.

"You don't think Sonny faked the threat over the organization just to get you together with his sister, do you?" Elizabeth dares to ask her boyfriend, unable to think that Sonny would go through all this trouble just for that.

"I honestly don't know." Jason admits. "All I know is that too many things aren't adding up and I'm tired of all the half-truths."

"And you think that Mr. Giambetti can help you figure things out?"

 _..._

 _"Will you help me?" Jason asked Maximus._

 _"I will." Maximus agrees after a moment of thought. "Only if you truly understand what my assistance entails."_

 _"I do." Jason assures. "If its true and he's playing me...it'll be done."_

 _"Good." Maximus states as he rises to his feet. "We've found ourselves in an entirely new age and its time we have people in charge that think more like you and less like Corinthos."_

 _"Only if I've been betrayed."_

 _"You have. You know it, I know it." Maximus said with a wave of his hand. "This inquiry is merely a formality. I expect great things of you, Morgan."_

 _..._

"Yeah."

"Okay." Elizabeth takes a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "What can I do to help?"

Jason knows Sonny better than even Sonny is comfortable with and it pains him to think that he Maximus is right. Knowing Sonny the way he knows Sonny, every instinct in his body screams for him to see what's right in front of his face. Sonny's main fear since he had taken claim to Lily's father's organization is that one day someone will rise up and take it from him.

Only two things truly matter to Sonny, power and money, both he gets in abundance as the head of his organization. The mere thought of losing it keeps Sonny awake at night, fearing that one day he'll be replaced in the same fashion as his predecessor. If that's what's fueling Sonny, there's only one ending to this situation that Sonny will allow to happen and Jason can only pray that he can go through with it if it comes down to either him or Sonny making it out alive.


	7. Chapter 7

**First, Last, Always**

* * *

Elizabeth was making her way into the diner to get lunch when she came face to face with Robin. For a brief moment, she wanted to turn around and walk the other way, but she didn't see the point in avoiding her, nothing would change if she did. She would still share a past with Jason as his first love just like Lucky will always hold that place, as well. Mustering up whatever courage she had, Elizabeth decided to make nice with Robin, knowing that anything else would just be a waste of both their time.

"Hi, Robin." Elizabeth voices as Francis walks over to the counter to order their lunch. "How're you holding up?"

"There are good and bad days." Robin admits. "Its just hard to believe he's really gone sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah...I get that." Elizabeth replies softly. "I'm sorry you're hurting."

"I'm okay for the most part, really." Robin assures. "I just try not to think on it all that much."

"Sometimes that's all we can do."

"How has Jason been?" Robin questions curiously. "He and Sonny had been like brothers. This must be getting to him."

"He's getting through it the best he can." Elizabeth admits. "Like you said, there's good and bad days, but he's hanging in there."

"I'm glad he has you." Robin finds herself admitting. "Knowing he has you to help him through this...that he's not suffering alone...it helps."

"I do what I can." Elizabeth assures her. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

"I'm sure the feeling is mutual." Robin replies with a slight smile. "Its clear that you mean a lot to each other."

"I like to think so." Elizabeth agrees. "Look, I know you and he used to be..."

"We used to be a lot of things, but that's the past." Robin assures her. "Loving Jason seems like a lifetime ago to me. These days, the only thing I care about is salvaging whatever friendship still lays between us."

"You're a better person than me then."

"Why do you say that?" Robin questions curiously.

"Loving Jason the way I do, knowing what it's like to be loved by him, I'd find it nearly impossible to be anything less." Elizabeth says truthfully. "I'd want it all or nothing at all."

"I can understand that." Robin replies. "There was a time when I believed that, but I'm a strong believer in everything happens for a reason and its clear that you two were meant to be together."

"That's something I can agree on." Elizabeth chuckles softly. "Anyway, I should get going, but it was nice talking to you. I hope you start to have more good days than bad."

"Thanks." Robin replies. "Same to you."

Waiting long enough for Francis to walk over to the door, Elizabeth grants Robin a single nod before following Francis out of the diner. She wasn't sure what good would come from her talking to Robin, but she's glad to see that she wasn't trying to find a way back into Jason's heart. In all honesty, she knows she'd never be able to be anything less than what she is with Jason. She has thought about a lot lately, what she'd allow herself to have in regard to Jason if they didn't last and she just can't see herself not loving him. She can't see herself going from where they are to something as trivial as friendship. Wherever this life is taking them, wherever they end up, she will fight to the death to make sure that they get there together.

...

Jason could see that Sonny was trying to get him to see things through his eyes, but Jason just couldn't see how Johnny could have possibly screwed anything up. Johnny is one of the best guards that they have in their organization, if something went wrong it's not on the guard. More than anything, he believes that Courtney was doing something to make her protection detail even harder than it had to be. Although, Johnny wasn't all too sad to see the detail no longer on his duty roster, Ritchie wasn't at all happy with seeing it now on his. If Sonny thinks that ordering Johnny off her detail meant Jason would take it on, the man had another thing coming. They have more than enough guards on their payroll to make it literally unnecessary for Jason to ever take the guard duty.

"Something's seriously up with that chick." Johnny complains as he drops into the seat across from Jason. "I don't get the point of what she pulled. Like seriously, what does it get her?"

"Nothing." Jason replies simply. "But you're right, something's up with her."

"Lets just hope Ritchie's up for the task." Johnny comments seriously. "The girl can drive even the most levelheaded man insane."

"He'll live."

"So what's Fran got planned with Liz today?"

"Shooting range." Jason admits as he pulls out files from his desk. "He's teaching her to defend herself."

"I'd love to see that." Johnny replies curiously. "Maybe..."

"We've got work to do." Jason counters with a firm tone. "And Francis can handle teaching her just fine."

"What about close quarter combat?" Johnny counters. "Can he teach her that?"

"No." Jason says with a shrug. "I covered that the moment we decided to be together."

"Oh. Makes sense." he shakes his head. "But come on...I really want to see her learn to shoot."

"No." Jason says seriously. "Besides, we were banned from the range."

"Seriously?" Johnny looks at him in disbelief. "By who?"

"Liz." Jason admits. "Can we get back to work now?"

"Yeah, yeah." Johnny sighs, grabbing one of the files from him. "Sucks, though, that would have been one of hell of a lesson to sit in on."

"I know." Jason agrees. "But then you'd crack a joke and she'd probably shoot you."

"Much safer to stay here with the files." Johnny relents with a shake of his head. "We all know you couldn't survive losing me."

"Work." Jason throws him another file. "Quietly."

Admittedly, he had wanted to be the one to teach her, but he knows that its better this way. He would have taken it easy on her and that wouldn't help any of them. Francis will teach her what she needs to know and he'll get her to focus on the finer points of using a gun. The deeper he gets into this thing with Sonny, the more necessary it is for her to be able to defend herself. She's already gotten the hang of hosting lunches for other families, now she needs to get the hang of the dangerous parts of the life. Guards are all well and good, but being able to defend herself will help a lot in the long run.

...

Elizabeth was surprised to find that Francis had called in a few favors with some cop buddies of his to get her to train in their training facility. For the first couple hours, Francis gave her the break down of a gun, showing her every part of it and how each works. He has her take apart her gun and put it back together until she got it right. The first time she was able to put the gun back together, she literally shouted her victory, laughing when Francis started to shake his head smiling. Once she was able to do that, they got to the shooting part, him showing her how the gun is handled and the way it feels once you take a shot.

"The gun has to become an extension of yourself." Francis explains. "You have got to learn to be comfortable firing it before you ever use it to defend yourself."

"Makes sense." Elizabeth accepts, holding the gun in her hand. "Do you think I'll ever be able to do it?"

"There's nothing I think you incapable of." Francis admits, standing her in front of the first target. "Just remember to breath and focus."

The next hour is spent shooting at targets in order to help her gain a familiarity with how the gun shoots and adjusting position as well as stance while she learns to handle the equipment. It would take some time, but she was slowly getting used to the feel of the gun. The adrenaline coursing through her veins reminds her of the rush she gets when she's on the back of Jason's bike. Knowing what's at stake if she doesn't learn to do this, Elizabeth gives her it her entire focus, knowing that she can do this if she just allows herself to.

"I think I'm finally getting the hang of it." Elizabeth comments as she reloads her gun. "So, what happens next?"

"From here, I'll be putting you in situations where you'll have to find your way to safety." Francis explains. "What I want you to remember is that this is only a set of drills, your life isn't in any real danger. If a situation feels a little too real and you need to stop, you let me know and we'll take a break, understand?"

"Just how real is it going to get?"

"As real as I can make it." Francis admits. "Your safety is my number one priority. The more you know how to handle, the safer you are and that's the point of all this. Keeping you safe."

"Okay." Elizabeth shakes her head. "I'll keep it in mind then."

"Good." Francis says with a slight smile. "We'll break for lunch and then we'll get started on the first exercise."

Lunch was brief, a couple sandwiches and a couple bottles of water, before they were right back in the thick of her training regimen. The first exercise was simple enough, what to do if she were in a straight up fight, something she found herself capable of handling better than she expected. The training didn't stay easy, however, and she found herself in situations that reminded her of her attack. It wasn't until they came onto the drill of what to do in an kidnapping attempt and she was grabbed from behind that she caused actual damage to one of the guys.

"Liz, hey, it's okay." Francis jumps in, standing in front of her to get her to focus on his face. "Hey, you're okay."

"I'm sorry. I just..." Elizabeth looks at the guy that's being guided over to the medical team. "I didn't mean to hurt him. Its just...when he grabbed me like that..."

"It's okay." Francis assures her. "Jason told me that this drill would be particularly hard, but I'm actually glad we ran with it. Liz, you clobbered a guy three times your size."

"Is he going to be okay?" Elizabeth glances over at the guy as he's being examined.

"He'll be fine." Francis replies reassuringly. "Zack was aware of the situation and he was happy to help. It's really okay, Elizabeth."

"Okay." Elizabeth takes a deep breath before looking at him. "I can't believe I really took him down."

"You did and I couldn't be more proud." Francis says with a bright smile. "At least now we know that Jason's combat training has taken hold. God help anyone that tries to take advantage of you now."

"Hey, nice take down." Zack says as he walks back over to them. "Your footing was nearly impossible to switch up."

"Thanks." Elizabeth says softly. "I hope I didn't hurt you too bad."

"Dislocated shoulder, but the doc was able to set it pretty easily." Zack admits. "It'll heal quick enough."

"Well, if you're ever itching for a chocolate fix, let me know." Elizabeth says sincerely. "I'm known to make a mean batch of brownies every now and again."

"No joke. She makes brownies to die for." Francis comments, having been fortunate enough to try them.

"I'll keep that in mind." Zack says as he gets ready to head out. "Take care, guys."

...

Staring at the bottle of morphine pills in her hand, Courtney takes a deep breath before popping a few pills onto her hand and taking it swiftly. She knows that things will be hell for the next few weeks, but if she can play her cards just right this will all work out for her in the end. She just needs to stick to the plan and all will work out in due time. Feeling the drugs coursing through her veins, Courtney lays down on her bed, allowing the incredible sensation to spread through her body. God this felt so good.

 **A/N: You spoke and I listened. I hope that the three stories is enough to keep you satisfied. Once I can complete these three chosen ones, I'll move on to update the others. Slowly but surely. Anyway, I can't wait to hear what you think. Let me know and as always, enjoy.**


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